Murals (AoT x Undertale)
by Larentiaray09
Summary: Strange things came in play during their expeditions. Murals of every shape and size stretched along man-made and natural structures with paint that couldn't wash of and glowed at night. When they find the mysterious painter, they are pushed into a deeper story of war and tragedy. A story of a race whose existence was questioned, that was forgotten in this world. A race of monsters
1. Chapter 1

**Ello readers! This is pretty much my first crossover and I've noticed there aren't a lot of Undertale and Attack on Titan crossovers in the internet and a majority of them are actually crack-fics. So I thought of writing one with a few more serious elements in it to compensate for the lack of fanfictions.**

**One of the main reasons why I decided to start one is because I love these two fandoms to DEATH. I'm actually an avid reader of the AoT manga, so this work will obviously follow its storyline. There is also going to an eventual Levi x oc in this, but I'll mainly focus on the story rather than the romance (but I will promise you a few spicy bits here and there 3)**

**I'm going to alter a few plotlines in the AoT universe, but I'm pretty excited to let the characters interact with each other. Another thing is that I'm making the skeleton brothers more humanoid here. Their race is going to be called 'Calx' which is the root word of calcium. Their still going to have a few of their monster attributes, like a black sclera with a white iris and their hands made of hardened skin and bone.**

**This is also going to follow the Handplates AU and a lot of its elements. This is actually in a setting where there have been a continuous number of genocide routes. The true pacifist ending has not been attempted yet. And please, PLEASE bear with my horrible grammar and be kind enough to point out any errors committed. **

* * *

|Murals, dust and bandannas|

The paint fumes filled her nostrils with its addictive scent. Arial shut her eyes, eyeing the stormily painted wall beside her as she lay pathetically among the empty cans of spray-paint and stencils. The heavy feeling was weighing down on her chest again and she found herself curling up into a fetal position, pulling her winter jacket and striped green bandanna closer to her small body.

She heard Sans and Papyrus below her in the kitchen. The taller male's loud and boisterous voice resonated through the walls and the shorter one's silent baritone had a mild lilt to it. Arial turned on her back and looked at the ceiling, blowing a messy black bang out of her good eye. The white pupil against the black sclera flitted about slightly. Then she got to her feet.

"What's the use." She muttered morosely. "What's the fucking use?"

If she could name one of her acute phobias, other than her fear of the dark, closed spaces and needles, she could say that she was terrified of sleeping. Every night, she's been having the same nightmare. A human in a striped shirt, a red knife, Papyrus' red scarf lying in his dust, meeting the brother killer in the CORE entrance, one of her murals behind her, fighting them, dusting.

_Darkness._

_Can't move._

_**Can't breathe.**_

A deathly familiar voice; some sort of garbled speech and a pair of white hands dragging her deeper.

Then she wakes up.

Sometimes the dreams had variations, where Sans takes Papyrus' place in Snowdin and he's the one who dies. Sometimes, Sans takes Arial's place in the CORE and she finds herself confronting the demon in the last corridor, alone and terrified, the only thing in between them and Asgore.

She was careful not to let her brother's know about the nightmares, but they were catching on. Papyrus wasn't an idiot and Sans was nowhere close to one. They could see the bags under her eyes every morning and they would get darker and darker as the nightmares grew worse.

Opening her bedroom door, she glanced down the staircase to see her older brother collapsed on the sofa, fast asleep. Papyrus was still in the kitchen, preparing more inedible spaghetti. After breakfast, the three of them were going to leave for sentry duty, like any other day.

She skulked down the stairs and unceremoniously plopped on Sans. He barely cracked an eyelid, his long white hair tied up in that messy bun, mussing up a little at the impact. Arial shut her eyes, pursing her lips.

"I want a hug, Sans." She mumbled. The white haired male raised an eyebrow, flashing her his own white iris. He held up his hand, pushing her forward back playfully.

"What's the occasion? I thought you set up a camp in that room." He asked with his tired yet calm smile, but he still pulled her closer and cuddled her gently. Arial hummed, shutting her eyes. Her edginess disappeared and she found herself calming down.

"Nothing. Hugs are nice." She replied. "I feel safe in a hug. Hugs are forever and you cannot deny me of that right." She hugged Sans even tighter at that point, tire wearing her down quickly. The older brother sniggered, lifting himself up.

"You seem oddly poetic. _Tibia _honest, your constant _patellin _on cuddles tickles a real _funny bone_." He joked. "Do you have any clue how cheesy that is?"

"Now you've made me _mozzerable_." She hit back. There was a loud clatter which clashed with Sans' deep laughter. Papyrus stuck his head out, eyes wide with annoyance. Arial coughed and discreetly pointed to Sans, averting her eyes.

"SAN WHY MUST YOU BE SUCH A BAD INFLUENCE ON SISTER ARI?!" Papyrus screeched with exasperation. She glanced down at his tomato stained apron with amusement, the frilly pink fabric now dyed red like it was straight out a horror movie. She could barely make out its personalized script (block letters with kiss the cook sprawled across. Here, cook was crossed out and 'THE GREAT PAPYRUS' replaced it) through all the tomato puree and…she blinked. Was that-

"Hey, Paps, not to impose or anything, but uhh…is that coal dust?" Sans pointed out, voicing out her thoughts. Papyrus looked at his apron then back at the shorter skeleton with a raised eyebrow as if he couldn't see the bigger picture.

"WELL, OBVIOUSLY!" HE EXCLAIMED. "UNFORTUNATELY, THE GREAT PAPYRUS MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN TO BUY PEPPER IN MY TRIP TO THE STORE. WE ALL KNOW HOW BLAND MY DELIGHTFUL SPAGETTI IS WITHOUT IT." Arial nodded slightly, a smile quirking her lips. "SO, I USED MY MAGNIFICENT (AND SMART) HEAD TO FIND A SUBSTITUTE!"

Arial blinked, nodding slightly faster while stroking her chin.

"Right, good call." She agreed, not having the heart to tell her brother that one, his spaghetti's taste was indescribable and two, coal dust was certainly NOT a substitute for pepper. "Why coal though. And where did you get it from?" she added. Sans sat up, to her disappointment and she tugged harder, refusing to let go.

"Noooo Sans, I wasn't done hugging!" she protested. Sans chuckled, ruffling her hair affectionately.

"WELL," Papyrus began, tapping his chin. "COAL DUST IS BLACK, LIKE PEPPER, SO IT WOULD BE THE PERFECT ALTERNATIVE. DON'T YOU AGREE?"

"Yeah, Papy, totally." Arial grinned.

"In fact," Sans started, a playful lilt in his tone. "We could say the spaghetti will be _carbon _pretty nicely." Papyrus jaw dropped and he let out an exasperated "NYEH!" at the (need I say horrible) pun. He turned to Arial, who sat back with a goofy smile on her face and placed his hands on his hips.

"Sister, I Pray You Not To Encourage His Terrible Habit." He begged. She shrugged, leaning back and pulling her knees closer to her body.

"Don't sweat it, Papy." She assured. "All my ideas for puns _argon._" Sans snorted, his smile growing wider, if it were possible. Papyrus wailed, waving his arms in the air. He wasn't really upset, she knew Papyrus all her life for the love of the angel, and that slight smile that twitched on her older brother's face was proof enough. He finally calmed down and returned to the kitchen. Arial flopped back, shutting her eyes lethargically, sleep suddenly hitting her like a ton of bricks before she could scramble out of its way. She was sinking into the darkness, unable to move an inch.

_The song played in the background. Arial found herself in a gold corridor, breathing in and out heavily. The sun was shining through the stained glass windows and if it weren't for her current situation, she would have relaxed and admired the scenery. But her muscles were tense and her magic was keening around her, the piano solo of a faintly familiar theme playing in the background._

_She knew where she was. The judgment hall, or the last corridor. Asgore had shown her and her brothers this place when they were still young and vulnerable. It brought back quite a few memories, some of them not very happy._

_A soft glow emitted in front of her and her head snapped towards the source. She took a deep breath in, fear clouding her senses and she instinctively pulled Sans' blue hoodie and Papyrus' red scarf closer for comfort. She had run all the way from Snowdin to get here and there was no way she was going to let that…thing get past her._

_She will fight. For Sans and Papyrus._

_Footsteps echoed through the hall and she saw the silhouette of a human, around ten to eleven years old gripping a dusty knife in their hand. Their hair was shadowed out by their brown locks. She froze at the sight of them, then pursed her lips, eye light of her right eye disappearing into the inky darkness of her sclera._

"_Tell me, kid, did you enjoy killing everyone I loved?" she asked. "Because it sure as hell feels like it." They suddenly smiled, taking a step forward, holding their blade up. Arial nearly took a step back, but she stood her ground._

"_I don't really know what your reasons are for killing us. We never really did anything wrong to you so kid, please, let's try talking this out." She continued. "Papyrus always told me to look for the best in everyone. I want to believe you can change, so drop the knife."_

_They didn't listen to her pleas and Arial found herself sighing, shoving her hands in the pockets of the dusty hoodie. Her winter jacket and bandanna were a tangled mess at her waist where she tied them up to make room for Sans and Papyrus' clothes. Shutting her eyes, she finally looked up._

"_It's another day today, lonely, terrifying yet cruelly beautiful. With every sin you've committed by killing my race," she stated, holding up her gloved right hand. A green flame burst out of her eyes and the human's SOUL was pulled out, turning from a deep red to a shimmering emerald. "__** h**__."_

_Her theme started playing in the background as she sent the first wave of bones at them._

"ARIAL!"

She woke up in Papyrus' arms, her eye glowing a deep shade of green. Arial sucked in a breath, tears welling in her eyes as she struggled to get out. Papyrus held her down however, his physical strength exceeding her lamentable excuse for muscle. Her eyes widened, suddenly finding it hard to breath. She let out panicked cries, gritting her teeth.

"Ari, hey, hey it's okay." Sans murmured, kneeling next to her and running his hands through her hair. "Just breathe, okay? Breath."

There was a faint hum in the air as his and Papyrus' eyes lit up their respective shades, a light blue and a gentle orange. Arial followed Sans' advise, inhaling and exhaling slowly. The pulsing in her SOUL slowed down and her deep emerald eye's glow dimmed to a softer shade. Papyrus kept his arms around her, hugging her gently.

"Are You Alright?" he asked quietly. She nodded and he let her go. Arial winced when a jolt of pain shot through her head and she rubbed it, groaning softly. "What happened?" she asked. Sans' eyes turned darker at this, the blue flame that lit.

"YOU WERE HAVING ANOTHER NIGHTMARE, SISTER." Papyrus replied instead. "IT WAS PRETTY BAD; YOU SUMMONED ONE OF YOUR BLASTERS AND DESTROYED A PART OF THE HOUSE."

Arial's eyes widened and her head whipped to the side. Papyrus' comment was pretty blunt and the wall across her had a huge hole with singed wood bordering it. She did that?! Oh god, why did she have to abolish the walls of her house because of a stupid nightmare?

"Listen, kid, you don't have to come with us for sentry duty today." Sans said. Papyrus nodded in agreement.

"TRUE, I WORRY ABOUT YOU NOT GETTING ADEQUATE REST." He added. "AS MUCH AS I HATE ANY OF YOU BEING LAZY, EVEN I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS KNOW THAT SLEEP IS HIGHLY NECESSARY FOR OUR BODY."

Panic grew at her throat and she shook her head.

"No, please, guys, I'd rather be anything but alone." She begged. "I'm not even that tired."

Sans blinked a couple of times, then shrugged, his usual lazy smile spreading across his features. "Fine." He muttered. "But don't work yourself to the bone, sis. You've been getting _femur _and _femur _nights to sleep."

Arial felt a weak smile spread across her face as Papyrus inhaled sharply and stiffly walked out of the door. The oldest brother chuckled, helping her up and shoving his hands into his hoodie pocket.

"Heh, in all the excitement, Paps forgot about his spaghetti." He mused. "How about we hop over at Grillby's for a burger?"

"Sure, but just as long as Bobtail doesn't try groping me again." She stated drolly, pulling her fur-lined hood up over her head.

* * *

Arial froze at the sight of a human standing next to Sans. Their clothes and hands were dusty and she could make out the hilt of a knife in their pocket. Panic shot through her again and she had half an urge to scream at Sans to get out of the way while Gaster Blasting the demon's ass to the afterlife. However the look in his eyes stopped her and she stood there stiffly, listening to her brother speak to them casually, like it didn't just kill a bunch of monsters.

She was almost convinced it wasn't a human with all that dust that coated it's stench.

"Well, you might wanna hide. My brother Papyrus is coming this way." Sans counseled. "Behind that conveniently shaped lamp or…uh never mind" The human however, stood their ground, unsettling stare on Arial before taking a step towards her. Arial hissed, fear shaking her very SOUL, but she narrowed her eyes at them.

"Get away from me." She snapped, taking a few steps back. The gritting of familiar footsteps met her ears and Papyrus appeared from the trees, scarf waving in the wind behind him. For a split second, Arial saw his dust on the snowy floor and she shuddered, forcing the disturbing image out of her head.

"SANS, ARIAL, HAVE YOU FOUND THE HUMAN YET?" the taller monster asked, head high. He stopped at the sight of the human, blinking. Arial blinked with him.

"Yeah." she and Sans said simultaneously, enthusiasm devoid from their voices. Papyrus grinned triumphantly.

"WOWIE, GUESS THAT'S SETTLED THEN!" He declared, turning around smartly and sprinting behind the trees again, probably to get his puzzles ready for the human. Arial gulped and looked back at them, eyes wide. "Wassup, other than the rocky ceiling, that is…" She tried to joke, but trailed off when they stared at her in an unsettling way. "Hey, are you just gonna stare at me or…?"

The human hummed and tramped through the snow, only to be stopped by Sans whose smile was unsettlingly tense and _forced_. They paused, glancing back ever so slightly, the disturbing glint in their eyes shining a little brighter.

"Well, I'll be straightforward with you." he stated with mild boredom, like he's been through the same song and dance before. "My brother would really like to see a human so…" His eyes zeroed down on them dangerously, almost as if he wanted to erase them from existence. "Y'know, it'd really help me out if you know…you kept pretending to be one."

Arial stood aghast for a few seconds before she saw Sans beckon towards her. She jogged up to him, mind buzzing with disbelief at what she just witnessed as they walked in the opposite direction. There was silence between them and she looked back to see what that thing was up to.

The human stared after them for a moment then continued up the path and Arial turned to Sans with shock. "We're just going to let them through?!" she exclaimed. "That thing could hurt Papy, Sans! I'm not as good at reading people like you are, but…I know that…THING killed innocents."

Sans sighed, a fatigued look flashing through his white pupils. He looked just as tired as Arial did at that moment and almost seemed like he wanted to tell he something that weighed down on him. Arial knew him longer than anyone had (with Papyrus as an exception) and she saw his tense posture.

"It's not much use, really Ari." Sans stated, his deep voice suddenly devoid of emotion. "It'll happen again. The kid will get to you and Paps and…" he broke off and she felt suspicion pang at her SOUL. How was Sans so sure about that? Why was Sans so sure about that? She tried to search his face for answers, but as usual…she got none.

"I don't get what you're trying to say." She mumbled, pausing for a second before a smile spread across her features. "D, do, do do, dooo

_I love you, like a temmie in a cube_

_Like the RUINS rubble heap and_

_New home's crowded street._

_I'd love you, through Snowdin and Waterfall,_

_And lava's steady crackle_

_Now, crap I'm talking in my sleep_

_Abouuuut YOU!"_

Sans let out a loud snigger when she shot him the jazz hands, her off-beat voice resonating through the air (unfortunately, singing wasn't Arial's forte, but she used to play the acoustic guitar for Napstablook every now and then). The little poem the three siblings had made up when they were kids was always a way to lift her oldest brother' feelings when he was down.

She leaned against him lazily and Sans casually draped his arm around her, slightly cheered up. Arial felt herself slip into the void along with Sans, the cold wind picking up powdery white snow and pine needles gently. She blinked a couple of times.

Something about that human was familiar…

* * *

"SANS, ARIAL WHEN'S THE HUMAN SHOWING UP?" Papyrus asked, hands on his hips while he eyed the path that disappeared in the direction of Sans' sentry station. Arial hung back, terror gripping at her SOUL. She glanced at the side, lips pursed. "I WANT TO LOOK MY SUNDAY BEST…OR AT LEAST MY THURSDAY PRETTY GOOD."

"Don't you only have one outfit?" Sans reminded, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. Papyrus blinked, tapping his chin, then shrugging.

"YEAH, BUT I COULD STYLE MY HAIR." He decided optimistically. Arial sneaked a look at his ash-blonde locks, not really having the heart to tell him that his hair wasn't going to…NOT stick out. She reminisced on the old memories they had, when Papyrus had bought a limited edition MTT hair gel to tame his mop. That didn't work, after dumping the entire bottle onto his hair, they just sprang back to its original state.

Sans seemed to be thinking it too, a weary smile on his face. "Oh. Right. Good idea." He chuckled, glancing down the path. "Say, why don't you look over there?"

Arial felt her eyes narrow at the figure that appeared through the mist, knife gripped in their hands. They walked forward a couple of steps and Papyrus turned to Sans. Sans turned to Arial and Arial turned to Papyrus, before long they began to spin at a dizzying speed. She stopped twirling, stumbling forward a little and gasping for breath. She was pulled into a huddle before she could recover and Papyrus was bouncing in place with energy.

"SANS OH MY GOD! I'M DIZZY. WHAT AM I LOOKING AT?" He giggled childishly, teetering to the side a little. Somehow, the oldest brother had recovered his brief pirouette and steadied him and Arial, stopping them from falling face-first into snow. She managed to find her balance and steady her spinning head.

Her eyes landed on the human and she tensed up again, watching them roll their eyes with disgust. They glanced at her, a terrifying flash in their eyes, and she wanted to turn around and run in the other direction, screaming. Sans looked at her, raising his eyebrows slightly. She got the hint, sighing internally. Well, she'll do this for Papyrus. Sans and Arial gestured dramatically at the human.

"Behold!" he declared. Papyrus, looked in the direction of her outstretched hand, excitement bubbling in his face. "OH MY GOD!" He did a double take, scanning the snowy stretch. He then turned to his two shorter companions, unimpressed and a little exasperated. "WHY ARE YOU TELLING ME TO LOOK AT A ROCK?"

Arial's eyes widened and she snorted. "Papy, what's in front of the rock." She prodded. Papyrus looked at the dust covered human, confusion passing over his face. His white iris dimmed a little with shock. "OH MY GOD, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT IS!" He protested, waving his arms at them. She nodded slightly, knowing how it took her a few moments to register that they were from the surface.

"Well, it's not a rock." Sans played along, helpfully (note the sarcasm.). Arial wanted to facepalm when he refused to come right out and tell him that it was a human. Trust her brother to be cryptic as a joke.

"And it's not a Calx either." She added, just to make things a little easier. There was messily hidden unease and vindictiveness in her tone. Papyrus stopped, excitement returning in barrelful's at the comment.

"NOT A ROCK OR A CALX?" He mused. "OH NO! WITH THE PROCESS OF ELIMINATION, I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT IT'S A HUMAN!" he clapped his hands, his ADHD addled body bouncing and prancing in spot. Arial pulled her striped bandanna closer, eyes narrowing at the thing who watched the whole thing with no emotion whatsoever on their face.

_Spot on_. She thought drily, shoving her hands into her winter coat, the white fur of the fleece lined jacket tickled her cheek gently as the wind picked up again. Papyrus cleared his throat, puffing hs chest out for dramatic tension.

"HUMAN, PREPARE YOURSELF!" He declared enthusiastically. "FOR HIGH JINKS, LOW JINKS, DANGERS PUZZLES, CAPERS, JAPERS, BEING CAPTURED AND OTHER SORTS FUN ACTIVITIES." Arial snorted again, papyrus turning back to shoot her a small glare. Sans simply grinned lazily, hands in his hoodie pockets.

"Because a game of capture the human is always fun." He deliberated, shooting Arial a wink. Arial waggled her eyebrows.

"And of course, the provision of comic relief by…" she paused. "The punning Calx duo!" she decided to pose dramatically for effect, performing a well-articulated dab, arms outstretched in Sans' direction. His grin widened as he replied to his signature shrug, a drumroll sounding in the background.

"NYEH!" Papyrus yelled with frustration, throwing his arms into the air. He pulled his demeanor together, however when he realized he still had an audience. "REFRESHMENTS WILL BE PROVIDED…IF YOU DARE!" he turned around sprinting into the next sector, probably to spruce up the electric maze he was working on. Arial jogged a little ways after him, then paused, glancing back to see Sans glaring at the human with slumped shoulders, disappointment was stretched across his face.

"And you don't even bat an eyelash." He stated blandly, turning to her. Arial stayed there for a few minutes then sent him a brisk nod, sprinting after Papyrus as fast as her short legs could go.

* * *

"Papyrus, we need to go back home." Arial begged, fear and despair cracking her voice. They were walking towards the outskirts of Snowdin, Sans staying behind to show the human their final puzzle. Arial frowned bitterly at the thought. Puzzle after puzzle, the human walked over her brother's enthusiasm. He used to stare at them with growing nervousness and confusion every time they walked forward mid-explanation. She could sense their intentions. She _knew _that thing was going to make a move and try killing her brother.

She just hoped Sans could handle them alone.

"You've SEEN the dust all over them, Papy." She continued. "That human is bad news, even SANS says so. We need to get to a safer place." Papyrus stopped abruptly, snow ceasing to crunch under his red boots. He glanced at Arial for a moment, a conflicted look on his face. He rested his hands on her shoulder, the white hard matter that strongly resembled that of a skeleton thrumming with warmth.

"THERE IS NO NEED TO WORRY, DEAR SISTER. THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL GET OUT OF THIS ALIVE AND MAKE YOU SOME SPAGETTI WITH THE HUMAN AFTER THIS IS SORTED OUT." He assured, seeming sure of himself. Arial wished she could be that optimistic, but the last time she trusted a human…she shuddered internally at the memory.

"Papy, please." She pleaded, tears beginning to prick her eyes. Papyrus blinked with surprise and his shoulders sagged with defeat. He nodded silently and Arial breathed a sigh of relief, dragging him away from the misty path. Papyrus glanced at it for a few seconds, then his white irises landed on her.

They finally reached their wood cabin in a couple of minutes, Arial stepping into the house and running her fingers through her hair. She breathed in a couple of times, trying to get the image of the human out of her head. She had one less brother to worry about, but Sans was still out there with that thing. Saying she was worried was an understatement…

Papyrus sensed her worry and pulled her into a hug, his eyes lighting up a soft orange. Arial felt relief wash over and she wrapped her arms around him, allowing him to lift her up and cuddle her. Eye glowing was an effective way they used to calm each other down. The warmth that spread through her SOUL was welcomed.

"_I LOVE YOU, LIKE A TEMMIE IN A CUBE,_

_LIKE THE RUINS RUBBLE HEAP AND_

_NEW HOME'S CROWDED STREET._

_I'D LOVE YOU THROUGH SNOWDIN AND WATER FALL,_

_AND THE LAVA'S STEADY CRACKLE_

_NOW, I'M TALKING IN MY SLEEP_

_ABOUT YOU!_" He sang softly. As if an invisible string was tugging at her eyelids, Arial felt her eyes close, surrounded by the comforting humming and warmth. In her hazy vision, she saw Papyrus lay her on the couch, a look of apology on his face. she unconsciously reached out, tugging at the black fabric of his sleeves, groaning with protest. Finally, sleep took over her.

It was a mistake.

When she woke up, she noticed Papyrus wasn't around the house and leapt to her feet, stumbling out of the door, panic rising to her throat. There was a note taped on the wall with Papyrus's uppercase lettering spread across it haphazardly like he was in a rush when he wrote it. She scanned its contents, face growing pale and her fingers numbing. The note fell to the ground, swept away by the wind as she took off, tears falling down her cheeks.

_DEAR ARIAL AND SANS (IF YOU'RE THERE),_

Arial leapt over stray rocks, her sobs filling the air.

_I TOOK TO MIND THE STRANGE BEHAVIOUR THE HUMAN EXHIBITED WHEN YOU POINTED IT OUT AND I WAS…DISTURBED. THE POOR THING MUST BE TERRIFIED AND SCARED IN THIS NEW PLACE, FAR FROM HOME. I THOUGHT OF ARIAL THE MORE I CONTEMPLATED OVER IT AND HOW SHE WOULD FEEL SURROUNDED BY HUMANS._

She tripped, falling into the snow. Picking herself up, she didn't bother dusting away the white powder, continuing to sprint towards the outskirts.

_I THINK THAT SPEAKING TO THE HUMAN AND TRYING TO CHANGE THEIR MIND WOULD BE A BETTER OPTION. IT'S NECESSARY TO TAKE SMALL STEPS…I HAVE TO ADMIT, I'M A LITTLE SCARED. I'M SCARED THE HUMAN MIGHT NOT COOPERATE AND…_

_NYEH! LET'S NOT THINK ABOUT THAT. I HAVE DECIDED TO GO AFTER THE HUMAN AND HELP THEM, YOU SEE. WHEN I COME BACK HOME, THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL PROBABLY HAVE A NEW FRIEND WITH HIM!_

She stopped, hands clamping over her mouth when she saw Papyrus standing before the bridge, body gradually disintegrating into dust as he fell.

"B-BUT STILL! I BELIEVE IN YOU! YOU CAN DO A LITTLE BETTER, EVEN IF YOU DON'T THINK SO!" he exclaimed, blood and dust intermingling together. No sound escaped her throat as she fell to her knees, silent sobs escaping her mouth.

_AFTER I BELIVE IN THE HUMAN, THAT THEY CAN CHANGE TO A BETTER PERSON. AND I KNOW DEEP DOWN, DEAR SISTER (AND BROTHER), YOU DO TOO! DON'T YOU WORRY NOW. THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL RETURN!_

His body was mostly gone, but he still managed out a weak smile.

"I…I PROMISE!" he whispered.

_I PROMISE._

The brother killer stared at their dust for a moment, then went on, not bothering to look back to her hunched body. Arial choked helplessly, picking herself up and tripping towards Papyrus' remains, his dust piling up around his red scarf. She picked it up gingerly with her shaking hands, a new wave of tears pricking her eyes.

_Gone_.

He was _gone_.

She buried her face into the warm material, body convulsing with her cries. She felt desolate, terrified…Papyrus didn't deserve this. What was the human thinking? What was she thinking?! Why did she just stand there, watching like an idiot? Why didn't she move? _Why didn't she fucking move?!_ Papyrus would still be alive now!

It was all her fault. Her fault!

She didn't know how long she was hunched, face hidden by her bandanna. When she felt a hand over her shoulder and Sans' familiar hum of magic, Arial let out a dry sob, arms wrapping around her oldest brother. Sans seated himself behind her, eyes now an inky black, unlit by the glow of his irises. He held her close, letting her cry into his shoulder.

"It's my fault." She sobbed. "It's all my fault."

"Hey, don't blame yourself." He coaxed. "I should have been there with you, but like a total idiot, I hung back. I'm sorry, Ari." She looked up, sniffing softly. Her white irises had shrunk into a blank, half dead stare. She then gazed at Papyrus' red scarf in her hands, which was partly covered with dust, then at his remains.

"I have to stop that brother killer, Sans." She whispered, rage beginning to boil in her SOUL. Sans' eyes shrunk with panic. "I can't let them kill anymore innocents."

"Sis, let's leave it to Undyne. She'll probably handle it." Sans pleaded, desperation in his voice. Arial turned a deaf ear, looking down the path at the bridge. She needed to stop them. That brother killer could tear more families apart…

"Undyne isn't invincible, especially with that unstable amount of DETERMINATION." She cut in. shutting her eyes, she recalled every monster they killed in cold blood, leaving their dust behind. She saw Papyrus falling over, arms still open to welcome them in, to _comfort _them. They murdered him. "I can't sit around, you KNOW that Sans." She opened them once again, a green flame glowing on her good one.

Sans let out a tired sigh, collecting the scarf from her hands and wrapping it around her neck, with her striped one. He paused for a moment before replying. "I know. I can't stop you anyway, sis."

Arial nodded briskly, getting to her feet. Sans watched her walk down the path, red and green striped grey scarves blowing behind her. He watched her break into a sprint, leaving a flurried trail behind her as she kicked up snow. He watched her figure disappear into Waterfall's entrance. Then he sighed once more, shutting his eyes and slipping into a shortcut.

* * *

"Papyrus is _dead_?" Undyne repeated with shock and disbelief. She glanced down at Arial with a wide eye, looking for any form of falsehood. Arial stared back, wiping away any more tears, her eyes puffy from all the crying. She nodded silently again, allowing the fish monster to digest the information. Anger flashed through Undyne's face and she donned her helmet, hiding any more of her emotions.

"That human's dead." She hissed. "I'll end their miserable existence for dusting him, that's what I'll do. There's NO WAY I'm letting that demon hurt any more innocent people." Arial pursed her lips. She and Undyne shared the same SOUL trait and was briefly trained by her to harness green magic. She liked the loud fish, but with the rage that seeped out of her, she made sure to keep a small distance between them.

"But first, I need to tell Alphys to evacuate everyone." Undyne decided. There was a faint sound of grass shifting and Arial let out a sharp gasp, the two female stiffening. The fish monster walked forward a few steps, eye narrowed dangerously as a teal spear materialized in her hand. She watched for any sign of movement, Arial's own eye darting around the grass. She was gently pushed back by Undyne, the shadows covering them.

"Hey, you need to leave too." The fish stated. "I'll hold off the human, help Alphys evacuate, okay?" Arial nodded silently, taking off towards Hotland, legs pumping as she stepped over slush and marsh. She didn't stop to take in Waterfall's beauty, with its luminescent waters, the glowing Echo flowers or the star studded ceiling.

Wading through murky water, her arms brushed against a few of the cyan blossoms, soft words whispering into the air. She didn't stop to rest, scrambling over wood, then wet dirt and finally dry mud, heat surrounding her, until Alphys' lab loomed before her, a large white and box-like structure that stood firm on Hotland's ground. Arial paused, looking to the side where the guards One and Two were stationed. Pulling out her cellphone, she called Alphys from her contacts, body shaking.

"H-hello?" the yellow saurian monster replied.

"Alphys, do you have any intel on the human?" she asked quickly. There was furious muttering in the other end and a short stretch of silence. "Y-yeah. When U-undyne c-called to e-evacuate the civilians, I-I put m-more tabs a-around t-them. T-they're o-on the bridge r-right now a-and…" Stillness. "O-oh g-god!"

"Alphys, what is it?" Arial asked, voice quivering with panic. "What wrong?" Alphys simply wailed, sobs tearing out of her throat. The line then went silent, Arial still holding the phone to her ear. Her irises had disappeared and her body began to convulse with panic. A dry chuckle escaped her throat, then another, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks.

She turned to One and Two. The guards were watching her silently, yet they did not move from their places dutifully. She walked up to them, pausing, waiting for them to step aside. They did, allowing her through. She ran her fingers through her hair with agitation, looking ahead.

The mural she was working on at the core entrance was splayed behind her. Arial stood there, her fists clenched as she waited for the brother killer to arrive. It wasn't a bad painting, Asgore permitting her to vandalize the wall all she wanted. There was currently a pair of wings, one a deep blue and the other a pristine white that was painted on, against an unfinished black galaxy background. There were a few stray bottles of spray paint still lying around here and there, a few snitched by the local high school kids who wanted to do something cool.

Footsteps echoed through and Arial stiffened at the appearance of the human who had more dust all over their body. She watched them take a few more steps forward, then stop at the sight of her. They let an insane grin spread across their face, holding up the knife almost mockingly.

"So, you've c-come this far, huh?" she mused, her voice trembling. "That's n-not much of a s-shock." She added, looking down for a moment, then back up at them.

"I really want to believe you c-can change kid." She mumbled. "I really do, but y-you've killed too many monsters t-to feel any more remorse. LOVE, no, not love. Do you know what t-that means? It's not a joke. You can't really treat this lightly." the human took another step forward, the unsettling smile still on their face. Arial blinked, SOUL panging with anxiety. She shut her eyes, Papyrus' dust on the snowy ground floating in her mind. She opened them and glared straight at the brother killer, indescribable rage filling her system.

"Fuck the pleasantries." She snapped. "I won't let you kill any more people, you filthy killer, you hear me? Screw my fear, my insecurities, because right now…" The room darkened, as they resumed a monochromatic hue. The mural had turned into a simple green outline behind her. Arial felt her magic rise to her right eye and blaze out, the emerald flame swirling hypnotically. She pulled their SOUL out, the red heart now splotched black with LOVE.

"…** ' u**."

Her theme blasted around them, a faster pace of Sans' usual slow and lazy melody that had started with a record swiping and a small drumroll. There was a wave of trumpets and she turned the SOUL green, sending a barrage of bones at them, each of them hitting with the beat. The human blocked them with ease, eyes burning.

A few more bones were sent out in her regular pattern, the Gaster Blasters accompanying with a hum and a burst of pure energy. The human skidded back, clothes scorching before they ran forward, swinging their knife. Her theme took on a small segment that resembled Papyrus' melody, Bonetrousle at this point and her insides panged.

***Arial.**

**3ATK, 2DEF.**

***A weakling, just like her brother. Just get this over with.**

"Weak?" Arial repeated with malice. The flame in her eye sparked purple and she sent a wave of bones with a mild purple tinge to it. The brother killer paused, one of the attacks grazing their cheek, a few drops of blood bubbling out. The effect of the Karmic Retribution knocked out a good number of HP from their stats. "How's that for a weakling, _demon_." She hissed, a small grin spreading across her face.

Her fur hood fell back revealing her messy mop of dark hair. her magic crackled through the atmosphere, sending out a smell of burning calcium and paint.

* * *

Arial could feel her stamina wane as she sent another blast. Her attacks had slowed considerably and her legs shook with the strain of having to support her body. Sighing, she nearly fell to the side, but steadied herself, just in time to dodge a stab from the brother killer. She had taken a few hits, but not to an extent where it was life threatening. While her HP had decreased since the _incident _it wasn't to the extent where it was dangerously low like Sans'.

"Give up, please." She pleaded, choosing to ACT this time. "Kid, killing everyone isn't worth it. We could have been friends if you simply asked for love." The human paused at that, expression hidden by their hair. They gritted their teeth and lunged forward, this time landing a hit and knocking out some HP from her. Arial coughed into her sleeve, red staining it.

"Fine." She hissed, pushing away the déjà vu. She summoned her special attack, two rows of Gaster blasters that surrounded the front and right of the human. One Gaster Blaster from each row let their eyes flash cyan, signaling a blue attack and the brother killer scrambled into their crossfire, staying still as the beams shot out, crossing in with each other. The blue attack phased right through them.

Arial blinked. She was sure, deep in her subconscious that she had gone through this before.

* * *

The knife swung in a deadly red arc and Arial fell back, spewing out blood. She landed on her back, then groaned, her body slowly disintegrating. A crack ripped through her good eye and she curled up, her bleary vision focusing on the brother killer above her. They walked a few steps forward, then drove their foot into her waist, sending up a shower of dust. Arial screamed with agony, body sent into a painful spasm.

The brother killer then proceeded into the CORE, hair hiding their face.

Arial was half dusted when Sans ran into the scene, eye wide and frantic. When they landed on her, his white irises shrunk and despair washed over them. He stumbled towards her, getting on his knees and holding his hand above her, shaking, like he was afraid to touch her, lest she shatters.

"Nonono, Ari, I'm so, so sorry." He whispered. "I tried to get her quicker this time. I TRIED." His shoulders trembled slightly. Arial blinked sluggishly, her hand reaching up and poking his cheek. Sans tensed, lips pressed into a straight line.

"S'okay." She slurred, her SOUL's beat fading quickly. "I f'give ya'." Her eyes shut as the rest of her body crumbled into white ash. Her SOUL, a small upside down heart that was lined with a large crack on the left half floated before him for a few seconds before it broke apart and faded into oblivion. Sans gritted his teeth, tears beginning to trail down his cheeks. He eyed the striped green bandanna and the bright red scarf left behind and picked them up gingerly.

He wrapped the scarlet muffler around his neck and tied the green fabric on his forearm, getting to his feet and hutting his eyes. When he opened them again, he was in the last corridor, sunlight streaming into the hallway. A fire was lit in his eyes as he absentmindedly gripped the cloth of his blue jacket.

He was DETERMINED.

* * *

The human drew their knife when Sans came into view and grinned with malice.

_Perfect_.

Now all they have to do was get past the damned comedian and finally take Asgore's SOUL. They could finally get out of this shitty hole once and for all. Stepping forward, they idly brushed some dust out of their purple sweater and eyed Sans. As usual, he stood there, his grin now forced and sinister. He glanced to the side for a moment, then back at them.

"So, you've been busy, huh?" he chuckled mirthlessly. The human noticed his tedium and gripped their knife unconsciously. For a good number of resets and incessant genocides, they suspected Sans knew something about their power. However they couldn't really _prove _their notion. Honestly, that possibility scared them.

He sighed, smile dropping. "Hey kid, let's just cut to the chase. I know you suspect my ability to remember and we went through this song and dance before." The human froze at his words, the room suddenly darkening and their SOUL being ripped out of their body. The sudden weight of blue magic fell on them and they gritted their teeth, knees bending at the strain. A few bones erupted from the ground, earning a strangled yell.

"Let's just get to the point." He snarled, his theme, a fast paced and very un-Sans like tune blasting in the background. "Because I'm **d o n e**."

A grin spread across their features.

He dodged to the side again, snickering softly.

* * *

"What? This must be the 655th time you've died on me in this timeline? That's an unlucky number of times, kid." He insulted, sidestepping, allowing them to hurtle past him. He gripped their SOUL with his magic again and threw them against the wall, a few more bones erupting from the marble surface. Their SOUL cracked again, giving Sans a few more seconds of respite before the human reset again.

"This is the 656th." He reminded, sighing softly. "Hey, hold up a moment." He stated, stopping them in their tracks by raising a hand in temporary truce. "Before you go all genocidal again, I just wanna ask you something." He shut his eyes, the opened them again. "Why did the chicken cross the road?"

The human faltered and he took advantage of their disorientation and sent another bone through their SOUL.

* * *

"Heh, 706th reset." He mused. He let out a short breath of air, watching the human come at him with another swing of their blade and he stepped aside again. Pausing, he activated his blue magic, left eye flaring up a brilliant cyan flecked with yellow and grabbed their SOUL. However this time, he didn't send them through a wave of elaborate attack patterns. He simply stood there, contemplating idly.

"You know, I wish I could say I could do this forever." He began, voice thick. "But I can't, do you understand." He inhaled. "Listen, kid, I kind of realize where you come from. You were afraid and all you want to do is go back home right?" he looked at the human who wore a look of shock on their face. Ever-so-slightly, they nodded, eyes wide. "Thought so. Now…uh, correct me if I'm wrong but…" he pursed his lips. "Didn't Toriel offer you a home? She was ready to take you under her wing and raise you as her own kid, right?"

The human tensed at this. They frowned, suddenly realizing that he was right. Maybe through their LOVE muddled mind, they didn't see that, but rather an obstacle.

"You can take this another way. RESET, kid. Go back to the beginning and try another approach. Maybe you'll get what you REALLY want." He continued.

The human faltered, knife slipping out of their hand.

"Not LOVE, but love, right?"

A tear trailed down their cheek and Sans blinked with mild astonishment, letting go of his blue magic. The human fell on their knees and cried into their hands, muffling out any sniffs or sobs. Sans rubbed his arm mechanically, tired sweat beading up on his forehead.

"Huh, kid, you okay?" he asked, taking a few tentative steps forward. The human looked up, face wet and stained from crying. They let out a few hiccoughs and nodded, wiping their nose with their sleeve. Getting to their feet shakily, they sent him a genuine smile. Sans sensed their intentions.

And sighed with relief.

"There's something we agree on." He stated, a less forced grin creeping up on his face. "But, uh, I hope you won't mind what comes next." A bone materialized in his hand. The human stood their ground, a new DETERMINATION in their eyes. They snuck one last look at Sans and took in a deep breath as the bone impaled their chest and they fell back on the marble floor.

* * *

Arial woke up in her bed, a terrified jolt shooting up her spine. She hunched over, calming her trembling and let out a tired sob, rocking back and forth to calm herself down.

* * *

**AIIII, that's chapter one. I'm sorry that it's so long. **

**So what do you think so far? Please leave a heart, follow and review for this work. I would love to hear your opinions and comments make me so happy! **

**Updates are once a month. If I manage to finish a chapter faster, I will make sure to upload it asap. I also have a deviantart account where I will upload drawings and any clarifications. The link is in my profile.**

**See you in oblivion!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Greetings, readers to the second chapter of Murals.**

**Any asks and comments will be answered in the end of the chapter.**

* * *

|Flowers, puzzles and pick-up lines|

"What…what just…" Arial muttered, pacing up and down her room. She gritted her teeth with growing agitation and ran her fingers through her hair. She was sure, she was sure, she had died! Or was that another nightmare? It was so realistic, honestly, far too realistic for it to be a figment of her imagination. She needed to do something about this, she needed to…

Her room door creaked open and Sans poked his head in, lazy smile spread across his face. Arial froze and looked back at him, an overwhelming sense of relief, the kind you get when you haven't seen anyone for a long time, course through her and she leapt forward, wrapping her arms around him. Sans backed up a little at the sudden weight on his body and chuckled softly, returning the embrace with vigor.

"You had another nightmare?" he assumed. Arial stiffened. So he knew? Well, you couldn't really hide anything from him, so she wasn't very surprised.

"Yeah." she admitted softly. "It was a pretty nasty one…there was a human and they killed me and Papy and…" she broke off, grief flooding her system. "It's not real, but it FELT that way, do you understand? I don't know why, I really don't and-" Cyan flashed in San's eye and he held her shoulders gently, bopping his forehead against hers affectionately. Arial knew Sans' empathy wasn't strong like Papyrus' or hers to an extent where they can flush out any distress, his one eye glowing feebly with the occasional yellow spark.

Her empathy decreased too, when she lost her left eye.

But there was still that familiar, comforting warmth and she sighed, a small smile curling up her lips. She didn't really know what she would do without her brother's there to tone down her angst and anxiety. Most probably in a dark place, holding on to whatever sanity she had left.

Sans' eye ceased glowing and he let go of her, tilting his head to the side slightly. There was silence in the house below and Arial felt panic rise at the absence of Papyrus' loud voice. She shot him an inquisitive look.

"Oh yeah, I told Paps to wrap up sentry duty and pick some stuff up from the store." He explained. "We're out of pepper, you see and I don't want him to add coal dust to our breakfast spaghetti." Arial blinked. Why did she feel déjà vu when he mentioned coal dust? It was a strange feeling really. "Meanwhile," Sans continued. "We're going to have a quick visit to a good friend of mine."

"Who?" she asked curiously, the fact that Sans had a friend was a little surprising. Sure, he got along with a lot of monsters but the fact that he had a friend and HID it was…shocking. Arial felt a twinge of unease. If Sans was hiding something as small as this, what other secrets did he keep boarded up?

Grabbing his hand as he pulled her into a shortcut the darkness of the void surrounded them and he finally landed before the door of the ruins, shaking away any snow that had landed on his head. Arial mimicked his actions and glanced at the stone entrance with apathy, sending him an '_are you serious that's a door_' look.

Sans replied with a wink, shuffling over to the door. He bent forward, a grin growing on his face. "Knock, knock." He began. Arial felt her eyes widen. Was he…did he just…?

How was she even related to this guy again?

Sans paused for a moment, almost as if he was waiting for a reply. Arial opened her mouth, at the verge of calling him back when she was cut off by a voice that was almost muffled by the thick stone of the door. She faltered, glancing at him. "Who's there?" it said, the tone belonging to an older woman. She frowned, thoughts speeding through her head a million mils an hour. Since when was there someone living in the RUINS? Sans knew her? It was a woman right? Did her brother come here every day to crack bad jokes?

That was a little…depressing.

"Spoon." He decided. A chuckle rang out and Arial simply stood there awkwardly, pulling her bandanna over her mouth, a nervous habit she had developed. The green and purple fabric was a sort of comfort blanket for her the past few years and she barely took it off, just like how Sans never parted with his hoodie or Papyrus never removed his scarf.

"Spoon who?" the lady asked with barely contained giggles. Arial felt a pang of fondness for this strange woman behind the stone door. Sans shrugged, turning back and sending her a mischievous wink. The younger female sighed, crossing her arms. "Never expected me to answer so _spoon_?" He finished, a chuckle escaping his throat. Arial cracked a small giggle as laughter resonated around them.

"I'm glad you could make it in such short notice, my friend. I'm hopeful you can help solve this little problem I have." The woman acknowledged when the mirth died down. Sans bobbed his head and motioned towards Arial and she hesitantly stepped forward. "Sure." He assured. "I even brought my sis along. She's pretty good with situations like these."

Wait, what?

"Oh, really?" the woman asked, excitement in her tone. "If this isn't a joke then, hello Arial. Your brother has told me quite a bit about you." The said female shifted awkwardly. Sans talked about her to a mysterious old lady behind a door? She didn't know whether she should feel embarrassed or flattered…

"H-hi." She mustered out, slapping herself internally for how nervous she sounded. There was a brief silence before an answer.

"A pleasure to meet you." was the motherly reply. There was a loud creak and the door slowly slid open. Arial blinked as snow flew up and she brushed it away. When the white flurry died down, she saw a tall goat monster that stood at the doorway, a kind smile worn on her face. She looked between her and Sans.

"Ah, my friend, it's good to finally see you face to face." she greeted. "Sans, is it not? And Arial…" she trailed off at the sight of the scar that was on her face. Arial pulled her hood up self-consciously in spite of knowing the woman meant well. "Oh, do forgive my rudeness." She reprimanded. "Perhaps I can lift you sprits. Tell me, why did the skeleton go to the party alone?"

"I don't know…" Arial mumbled shyly, though she knew the answer. The woman smiled.

"Why, because he had _no body _to go with!" she jested. Even though she heard this joke a million times and was practically sick of it (courtesy a certain Calx) Arial still let out a small chuckle. "They must have felt really _bonely_, huh?" she added. The anthropic goat giggled, a dainty paw covering her muzzle. She had an air of old charm and sophistication around her, almost that of a queen.

Arial could only wish she was that classy.

From the sidelines, she saw Sans wiping away an imaginary tear, a look of exaggerated pride on his face. She huffed, rolling her eye with incredulity.

The woman introduced herself as Toriel, the caretaker of the ruins. She let them into the violet hallway and guided them through. When they got to her house, Arial froze, the familiarity of it almost shocking her. It was a clean copy of Asgore's, only brighter, the walls painted a soft yellow that exuded warmth. A guitar played somewhere in its rooms.

_Welcome home,_

_Welcome home,_

_My…_

_Child…_

"Well, I believe I owe you two an explanation." She stated, directing them out of her house. Arial looked around her, taking in the varying shades of brick, from bright purple to a calm lilac. A few Froggits paused to watch the procession with curiosity but then shied away at the sight of Toriel. "Well, I was going through my usual rounds to see if a human has ever fallen down" she began and the shorter female tensed at the term.

"When I heard that miserable flower yelling some of the most shocking words, I immediately went to investigate. Flowey is known for his lack of conscience and sometimes he attacks some of the RUINS' residents out of pure spite. I needed to see if he was cornering another monster again and, well…"

She paused, stopping at the entrance of the RUINS. Arial craned her neck till the end of the hallway and spotted a patch of golden flowers, a few of them bent over slightly, as if they were accommodating some weight. She paused, shutting her eyes, feeling the faint hum of a SOUL and panic rose to her throat.

"Sans…there's a human…" she strangled out, backing away a little. Sans rested his hand on her shoulder, a comforting smile on his face.

"Yeah, I know. Just stay calm, okay?" he assured. "So, we have to help the little fleshie?" he asked Toriel, tugging Arial closer to the flower patch. The goat monster nodded delicately, worry written on her muzzle. Her paws were clasped together before her chest with nervousness.

"Yes, the poor thing refuses to leave the patch, claiming that they've done terrible things." She stated. "They said they didn't want to leave and hurt anyone, so they are just staying there." The shorter female raised her eyebrows at this and frowned at the sentence. She didn't understand what was going on right now, neither did she want to.

"Right, we'll see what we can do." he decided; they were a few feet away from the patch. Toriel ducked into the shadows, giving them some privacy as Sans took a few steps forward. At the sound of echoing feet, the human that lay among the flowers sat up, panic spread across their face. They looked up at Sans with familiarity that confused Arial. How do they know each other?

"Hey kid, been a while." He greeted calmly. The human shrank back, their expression guilty beyond compare. She took in their appearance, a torn shirt and striped sleeveless sweater and brown pants.

***You asked Sans why he was here.**

Arial's eyebrows shot up when he turned to her and beckoned at her to come to him. The human's eyes scanned the room, landing one her and their face fell with that same look. Arial glared at the human. She glared at them long and hard enough to state that she wasn't going to be nice that easily.

There was also that nagging feeling of familiarity around them. She was sure, as anxiety coursed through her SOUL, she was VERY sure she saw this human in her dreams, killing her brothers. But this one didn't wear that look of psychotic glee. Instead they seemed small, remorseful and quiet.

"Meh, ignore Ari for a couple of seconds and talk about _other stuff_." Sans emphasized. "It's been what, a couple of hours since the last run and you're still at the place you start. What's up with that?"

If Arial thought she was confused earlier, she was definitely baffled now.

***You told Sans that you'd rather leave him alone and live his life with Papyrus and Arial. You also told him that you're better off dead.** Replied the human, a black text box appearing at their head.

"HOLD UP!" she interrupted, pointing at them. "How do you know about Papyrus? In fact," she turned to Sans. "How the hell do you two know _each other_?!"

Sans chuckled sadly, glancing at the human with a meaningful look. They bowed their head down, as if ashamed of some unspoken action they had committed. "Go on, tell her." he urged. The human rose to meet Arial's eyes, tears beginning to pool out of their eyes.

***You tell Arial everything and that apologies can never make up for what you've ever done and put your brother through. But you're still sorry and you ask her and Sans if they'd ever learn to forgive you. **

Arial blinked, taken aback when a flurry of words entered her head all at once, from the resets to the genocides and a chance at doing what was right. She paused, taking in a deep breath and stared at the child before her with shock. They didn't look at her expectantly, hands covering their face as they bent over the patch of flowers. Sans had a sad smile on his face.

"Of course I forgive you, kid. You did some really unforgivable stuff but," He declared softly. "I guess you needed someone around to hold onto you. So, I was hoping if Ari here could help you out." Two heads snapped at him and Arial felt disbelief flood her SOUL. Was Sans really saying that?! After everything this brother killer had done. She opened her mouth to argue back, then froze when a small part of her SOUL buzzed softly.

_Must we react like that? _It asked meekly. _The human apologized. With some guidance, we can help them get better. Look at them, Arial. They need help and putting them down like this won't work._

She shut her mouth, a conflicted look spreading across her features. Her legs started moving on their own accord and she stopped before the human, bending to their height. They looked up at her meekly, tear stains on their cheeks. Her single white iris dimmed a little and she reached out for their SOUL, her eyes flaring up a soft green. Arial used her empathy magic, searching the human's emotions for any sign of falsehood. It was the only way she could bring herself to help them.

There was none, to her shock.

She let go of their soul, eye soft. "I guess I can, since you really want to take this another way. We'll help you from Snowdin, kid. Just don't kill any of the monsters here, okay? LOVE tears your ability to feel apart and metaphorically walks all over it. So that's a big no."

The human gaped, then got to their feet wobbly, gaze alternating between her and Sans. Then they smiled weakly.

"We'll be waiting, okay kid?" Sans called out, hand resting on Arial's shoulder as they slipped into another shortcut. The human stood in the flower patch, then took their first step outside it, a new DETERMINATION in their eyes.

* * *

To say she was angry was an understatement.

Arial was _pissed _when they appeared in their cabin's living room. Sans seemed to have sensed it and he looked to the side, whistling innocently. She had a good reason though. She couldn't help but feel _betrayed _that Sans was hiding this from her and Papyrus all this time. She could have helped him through this trauma if he had just opened his mouth and poured out his feelings.

She wasn't an idiot. She wasn't going to take this lying down. The whole point about being a sibling was building up trust. That was their relationship's base and the fact that he didn't turn to them for help, didn't trust them with his feelings…it…

It _scared _her.

"Why didn't you tell me?!" she screeched, throwing her arms in the air. Sans froze and glanced at her with a raised brow, then shoved his hands into his pockets with an almost apprehensive look on his face. Arial took a step forward and positioned herself in front of him, eyes narrowing. "I thought we were going to do this together Sans; all three of us promised that years ago after Asgore helped us move in."

An uncomfortable look passed over his features.

"Ari…" he began but she raised a hand, lips pursed.

"_Don't Ari me, Comic_." She snapped, her voice trembling. Sans shut up, knowing that when she used his first name, she was colossally pissed. She clenched her hand and shook it in front of him. "If you don't trust me or Papy, I guess I shouldn't stay any longer, right? I can't…" she shook her head with disbelief. "I can't believe it's come down to this…"

"You don't get it." Sans snapped, his features stretching into a grimace. His irises had disappeared and the younger Calx knew it was a sign of intense sadness or anger. His shoulders shook as he uttered out the next few words. "Even if I tell you, you 'n Paps…hell, everyone would forget about it when the kid resets. I'm the only one who remembers." His voice broke off. "Don't you see?"

Arial paused, eye widening. She felt a pang within her SOUL; as angry she was at Sans, she had to remind herself that he bared the brunt of this whole mess. But still…

"…We were always ready to listen." She reminded softly. "Or have you forgotten that too?"

"No…I just…"

"Save it. I'm going."

Sans blinked, then let out a pained sigh, his irises returning with the occasional flicker that betrayed his stressed mood. Arial took a step back, massaging her head and looking up at him with a blatantly conflicted gaze, then stalked out of the house, head buzzing. She hunched her shoulders, glancing back, half expecting him to come after her. Half expecting him to stop her.

He didn't, to her bitterness. Sans was that type of guy who'd give her some space to vent out, so she took to Hotland to calm herself down. Unlike Sans, she couldn't shortcut to her destination, so her jog, which had sped up to a run had dispelled most of the anger out of her system.

Arial wasn't per say the strongest out there. Nor was she the most gifted in magic and fighting, but if anyone asked the residents of the Underground who was the fastest monster among them, they'd all say "Arial Black. Who else?" Speed was an ability unique to herself like how Sans could shortcut and how Papyrus could levitate small altitudes. It was pretty handy when it came to running from the guard back when she was a young and angst filled teenager who vandalized MTT hotel and New Home with murals.

She had reached Hotland, which was normally a thirty minute run in half the time and had hunched over panting lightly while she glanced at the lab in the distance. Maybe she should spare Alphys a visit and watch some anime, she thought. But then she shook her head and disregarded the idea. As nice the saurian monster was, Arial didn't think she could handle another chapter of Mew-Mew Kissie Cutie.

Turning left, she shrugged off her fur lined winter jacket and tied it around her waist, now clad in a simple green tank top. Her white irises darted from side to side, looking out for any monsters she wanted to annoy as she stalked up the smoking, stony path to the elevator.

At the entrance to MTT hotel, Ember, a green fire elemental and local at Hotland waved at her.

"Hi Arial." She called out. The Calx smiled and plopped down on the bench beside her. She knew Ember, the emerald green fire elemental who was Grillby's younger sister from the few months she dated the bartender. They weren't friends since it was only passing words while she spoke to him at his bar.

Hey, what can you expect? She had a _massive _crush on that guy when she was around nineteen. Sans had never stopped teasing her about it.

Like, at all.

Hunching her back, she ran her fingers through her dark hair and groaned softly. Back with _her _older brother again.

"Is…something wrong?" asked Ember. Arial blinked as a flurry of emotions weighed down on her. She felt angry and betrayed at Sans for hiding this from her. But she also felt bad, guilty even depressed when she looked back to how she yelled at him and disregarded the helpless look that was on his face.

"I just…had an argument with Sans." She mumbled. Ember sighed knowingly and nodded with wisdom. She understood what Arial had to go through sometimes with a smothering, overprotective brother behind her case all the time. That's what the Calx liked about Ember. She was good with feelings.

"And you feel bad about it." she finished. Arial nodded mutely, fingers sliding down to her cheeks. She hated feeling so conflicted and confused. Add the fact that she had just met a human that morning who claims to have the ability to go back in time and had previously killed her and the rest of the monsters in the Underground.

"Spot on." She mumbled drily. Ember nodded, hands clasped demurely on her lap like a stereotypical high school girl which, Arial reminded herself silently, she was. Her emerald flames crackled intensely for a moment before paling to a gentle pale green.

"Tell me about it." she scoffed. "I've lost count of the number of times I was mad at Grillby but felt guilty at the same time." She looked at Arial with her large glowing eyes. "But that's the whole point about being a family, right? No matter how mad you are at them, we monsters can never harbor that negativity for long."

Arial knew she was right. Whatever anger she was feeling right now was fading away to sadness and fear.

"Sans had his reasons to act that way, I guess." She mumbled to herself. Ember blinked then shrugged, her ethereal eyes sliding over to the MTT resort.

"Have you finished your recent mural yet?" she asked. The older monster blinked, then shook her head with sheepishness.

"No, not really. I guess I never had the time." She admitted. Ember hummed, rising from her seat. In spite of being younger she towered over her, Arial had a slight frame, hitting a rather embarrassing height of four feet eleven inches. Even Sans didn't really inherit the taller side of their genes, stuck at five feet five inches for the rest of his life.

"I have to admit, it's a pretty interesting concept." She mumbled, then checked her watch, a gasp escaping her lips. "Oh, I better get going. Bye, Arial!"

Arial waved at the fire elemental and the made her way to the CORE entrance, spying the duffel bag where she stuffed all her spray paint in tucked away in a corner. Pulling it out, she began to add finishing touches to her mural, eying the art that spread across the wall.

Then she stuffed her hand into her pocket, fishing out the torn, slightly blood-stained badge and stared at it with sadness, the blue and white wings that lay entwined on the grey military pentagon now a faded tone. She sighed and turned it over, the name of whoever this soul was ringing in her head.

_Isabel Magnolia._

Even though she knew the bearer of this badge was dead, she could still feel the thrum of her essence, what used to a bright green SOUL like how hers would have been if she were human, still embedded deep inside like a memory. Arial stuffed the badge in her pocket again and looked up at the mural. A pair of wings, one blue and one white that stood against a vortex of stars, torn and abused.

Time passed, Arial didn't know how long she was here but a phone call from Sans had her briefly stop and press the green button.

"Bro, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"The human exited the Ruins, Ari. They're here in Snowdin currently solving one of Paps' puzzles." He cut in. Arial choked with shock and blinked a couple of times, barely registering the words. Already?! Did they…

"And no, they haven't hurt anyone. I'm calling because uh…" he sounded a little lost and Arial could barely make out Papyrus screeching in the background. "Paps needs you to get your puzzle ready."

Arial nearly dropped her phone. Her puzzle! She forgot about that in all the drama that was unfolding fast. Uttering out a quick "I'm on m'way", she shoved her paint can into the bag, leaving it there as it was with hopes no one messes with it and sprinted back to Snowdin. She outdid herself this time, reaching her hometown in ten minutes rather than the usual fifteen and let out a few short pants before breaking into a jog, trying to navigate through the snow.

She picked out Sans and Papyrus through the trees and froze at the sight of the human who seemed to hunched over solving a…newspaper article?

"SISTER, YOU HAVE FINALLY ARRIVED!" Papyrus practically squealed with excitement. "SANS HAS BEEN LAZY AS USUAL AND DIDN'T GET A PROPER PUZZLE READY FOR THE HUMAN! I HOPE YOU HAVE ONE THOUGH!"

Arial chuckled.

"Yeah, I do." she grinned, casting a wary eye on the human. They seemed absorbed in their current task, erasing and scribbling on a few lines. There was no dust on their clothes, which was now a purple and blue striped turtleneck, obviously supplied by Toriel and a rather beat up stick rested at their side. She relaxed a little, an amused glint lighting up her white iris. As long as they weren't looking at her, she was fine. "In fact, it's a real…"

Papyrus blanched, eye twitching.

"SISTER PLEASE DON'T FINISH THAT-"

"…_puzzler_."

The taller Calx threw his arms up with exasperation.

"NYOOHOOHOO!"

She chortled, holding her sides as Papyrus stomped childishly into the snow. She glanced at Sans who looked at her with slight caution, like he was unsure on what to say and how to act. Arial couldn't stay mad at him, not with him looking like a lost, hurt puppy.

"Hey Sans, what puzzle did you give the human?"

Said human looked up, slightly shocked at her presence and managed a nervous smile and wave. Arial only gave them a small nod and looked back at her brother, waiting for her answer. Sans seemed a little surprised, then relaxed, shrugging nonchalantly.

"This morning's crossword." He replied calmly. Papyrus huffed, placing his hands on his hips after seemingly recovering from Arial's bad pun. She blinked, then frowned. The crossword? That wasn't any better than Junior Jumble, according to her standards.

"Wouldn't a tougher puzzle be a better option for our…" she trailed off, glancing at the human who ceased solving the puzzle and stared at her with a rather nervous smile. Arial nodded slightly, trying to find a word that wasn't too offensive and wasn't too chummy either. Sans raised an eyebrow, grin widening with mirth.

"Capturee?" he proposed. She opened her mouth, ready to finish the sentence then shut it, questioning the fact that it was a real word or not. She sighed, rolling her eye and flapped her hands half-heartedly to press her point forward. "What did you have in mind?"

"The Sudoku?" she proposed. The human snorted when Papyrus' gaze turned blank and he grabbed fistfuls of his hair in frustration. Arial blinked, a little disoriented before it dawned to her that her brother must have expected her to say "The word search" instead. Newspaper puzzle preferences were always something the three Calxs disagreed on at a daily basis, to a point where their arguments turned childish and irrelevant…

"Really?' Sans sniggered. She rolled her eye.

Yeah…

She was normally the one who played peacekeeper during disagreements when Papyrus insisted on her opinion to be put forward to prove his point, but in those instances, she'd stick to her loyalty to the Sudoku for the rest of her life.

"HUMAN, WHICH ONE DO YOU PREFER?" Papyrus screeched turning to a third party for help. The human cocked their head to the side and contemplated on what to say. Arial sensed their panic; they obviously didn't want to hurt all three of their feelings. She almost doubted their capability of starting a genocide, but then brushed it off. She may have put that behind her, but she doesn't necessarily have to like or trust them.

***You tell Papyrus that they don't want to choose. All three puzzles are your favorites.**

Sans shrugged at the reply, his grin widening a little when the human got to their feet and handed him the solved crossword. He whistled softly with appreciation and nodded approvingly at them.

"Not bad, kid." He complimented, stuffing the scrap of paper into his pocket. The two males the turned to Arial expectantly, reminding her that she needed to direct and present her puzzle to the human. They bounced on the balls of their feet eagerly, brown bangs bobbing every now and then, an attempt to keep themselves warm.

"Oh, right…I have to uh…" she trailed off lamely and waved her arm toward a clump of trees. "It's…uh…that way."

Arial's puzzle wasn't really self-made. Rather, she asked (begged, to be exact) Papyrus for some help with laying out the machinery and he gladly did so. She made it since her two older brothers did and she wasn't ready to be left out yet so it was more of a last minute plan. It was based loosely off the one she saw in Hotland where heavy metal blocks had to be moved with a lever in order to make a clear road for shooting a pellet at the target.

But instead of a target, the blocks had to be moved around and set in the correct place to form a picture. It was like one of those puzzles with the sliding tiles, only bigger. Much, much bigger. The blocks were set on the ground in its usual jumbled state, eleven tiles and one empty space in total with the lever set on a small raised platform to view the puzzle better. A bell button was at the side to reset the whole thing if they made and error. There was also a couple of keys to switch control over the tiles, whose mechanics were based off magic frequencies and other complicated stuff.

Let's not go into detail with that…

The human hopped on the platform with excitement and glanced at Arial to explain the mechanics. She chuckled nervously and motioned at the tiles.

"So, uh, you're going to have to move these blocks with the lever to solve it. You'll know you have when it looks more like…something rather than a bunch of weird abstracts." She tried to explain, then flushed a little. "Not that I have anything against abstract art. I actually appreciate it."

The human nodded and curled their fingers around the lever while the three monsters watched with bated breath. They pulled at the rod.

It didn't budge.

Arial hissed with embarrassment. She wasn't comfortable interacting with new people, especially humans, but this only spiked her anxiety.

***You tell Arial something is wrong with the lever.**

"Oh, right, it does that sometimes." She mumbled sheepishly and walked forward, shaking the rod a little. There was a clear _CLANK! _That rang out and she stepped back, flexing her fingers and shrugging. "Yeah, try now." She stated. The human pulled the lever again and it moved with ease, one of the tiles moving down. Their face lit up with glee as they looked down and pressed one of the arrow keys.

Another tile lit up and they moved it into the empty spot.

Arial stuffed her hands into her pockets and eyed them for a while, then back at her brothers.

"I'D SAY THE HUMAN ENJOYS YOUR PUZZLE, SISTER ARI!" Papyrus declared with unconcealed fondness and pride aimed at her. She blushed sheepishly and rubbed her neck out of a nervous habit, tilting her head to the side to look at the human again. She wasn't going to lie, she loved being complimented since her insecurities and fears usually got the better of her.

"Nah, I had two cool brothers to help me with this." She corrected. Papyrus puffed his chest out with a prideful "NYEHEHEHE!" his scarf fluttering in the breeze. The human looked up for a moment, watching the interaction briefly with a small smile on their face, then back down at the puzzle, switching control to another tile and moving it to the side.

* * *

The human hurtled down onto the snowy bed and sighed, dusting themselves and getting to their feet. They glanced up and saw a snow sculpture fashioned to look like Papyrus with a tattered red cloth to pose as a scarf, flexing some exaggeratingly large muscles. His snow-hair was neatly combed to the side which was a stark contrast to the Calx's usual spiky mop.

Beside it was a pile of snow with 'Sans' written on in red permanent marker. The human chuckled at his blatant display of laziness and poked the pile. To their surprise, it was as solid as a brick and they blinked, questioning its logic. They shifted their attention to the final sculpture, which was fashioned to look like a skeleton wearing a bandanna.

Arial must have gotten the idea out of the skeletal hands the Calx seemed to possess. They wondered if their feet were the same as well, or any other part of their body, as a matter of fact. They let a smile grace their features as they trudged up the path, ready for another round with that puzzle.

* * *

Arial knew stalking was looked down upon, but she couldn't help it, peeking through the trees as she watched the dog scamper off with Papyrus' attack. Suppressing laughter, she mused with slight fondness as her older brother sent a wave of attacks to compensate, the human choosing mercy as usual.

So far the fight was going well, with that exception where they were knocked out and locked in the shed. Arial gave them a cinnamon bunny as an apology on her brother's behalf for being shoved into a smelly space with soggy dog treats and filthy water. Finally her brother gave up and spared them.

"Well, all the kid has to worry about id Undyne." She mumbled. Beside her, Sans nodded, relief and amusement in his eyes, hands in his pockets as usual. Arial sat on the snow and blinked a couple of times, looking at her brother.

"Did they…die so far?' she asked. Sans nodded sullenly, irises dulling slightly at the mention and seated himself next to her.

"A couple of times in the Ruins, once with the greater dog and the smooching mutts." He recited. Arial wasn't surprised, considering the fact that their HP wasn't that high since they were free from the influence of LOVE. She tapped her knees a couple of times, wondering what she should do now since the human was going to leave after their date with Papyrus.

"Hey, Ari?" sans called out. She flinched and nodded. "I'm sorry." He confessed. "I get where you're coming from, heck, I get pretty pissed when you refused to tell us about your nightmares…" he paused, looking at her with soft eyes. He obviously adored her and Papyrus to death. "So I guess I owe you an explanation. A LOT of explanations..."

Arial sat up, listening. Sans was blatantly hinting that he was going to reel off this whole thing and he did, starting off with a psychopathic flower who had the ability before the kid, how the genocides used to vary sometimes, how he occasionally took one of his siblings place before battling the human, to get them when their weaker only to die, how he researched this phenomena in the basement…

Arial listened through the whole thing and in the end she caught a couple of tears rolling down her cheeks. When had she started crying? Her brother had gone through a lot more than she let on and she couldn't do anything about it. It was aggravating, so, so AGGRAVATING!

"You 'n Paps…" he muttered. "The two of you don't remember to the extent I do. you just get this feeling of Déjà vu or in your case," he glanced at her, wiping away the salty drops of water with his hands. "…you get nightmares about it, then forget most of the details waking up."

Arial sniffed and hunched her shoulders, digesting the news, then she managed a weak smile.

"That wasn't so hard now, was it?" she asked. Sans chuckled, pulling her in for a hug.

"It was easier than expected."

* * *

She was back in Hotland again, adding finishing touches to her mural when the human arrived. She jumped a little when she noticed them, spray-paint clattering on the floor.

"Aw, jeez, it's just you." she mumbled. "You startled me."

The human smiled guiltily and stood there, eying the painting with interest. Then they looked back at her, pointing at it inquisitively. All this while Arial watched them cautiously, hands in her pockets. Her coat was now a crumpled mess somewhere and she had thrown her shoes ina dustbin, hoping to never see them again. She wasn't fond of wearing them, but Papyrus never seemed to understand.

Which also displayed her white, skeletal feet, complete with tarsals. The bone was larger than an average human's and the one standing before her was momentarily distracted by it, watching them bend flexibly with fascination.

"Sooo, are you just standing there, or…?" she asked. She didn't really mean to come off as rude and the human didn't mind, prying their eyes away from her bare feet and motioning at the mural.

***You asked Arial where she got the idea from.**

Arial didn't expect that and she relaxed a little, rubbing her foot against the brown, baggy cargo pants she wore and smiled slightly. She faced the mural, the human walking forward and stopping next to her in expectation.

"You know about the dump in Waterfall, right?" she asked. The human nodded, which saved her from giving them any explanation. "Well, Sans and Alphys noticed that sometimes little pockets between time and space opens up occasionally and it brings in a lot of stuff from around the world and from different times. That explains how we're pretty advanced with technology and stuff."

"So one day, I was taking a walk there with Undyne who wanted to find a sword for herself when I saw this jacket floating around. It got my attention and, I just went to pick it up to get a closer look." She continued. "Kind of a mistake since I saw it was stained with a lot of blood, especially around the collar, so it didn't take me long to realize what happened to the human." she glanced down and saw them wear a look of shock. "The badge sewn on, though, I like the design, so I ripped it out and I've kept it ever since."

She displayed it to them and they analyzed it eagerly, tracing the stitched design of the wings. Then they nodded, seemingly happy with this piece of information. Arial felt a little more at ease around them now and went on to continuing her mural, picking up the canister and spraying on the lighter shade of blue to highlight the wing.

"You know, back when I was a teenager all angst filled and rebellious, I used to vandalize the Underground." she said suddenly. The human looked up, interested. "The civilians ended up complaining though, and I was arrested by Undyne then taken to Asgore." She smiled at the memory. "And you want to know what the goof said? He said I was good at what I was doing, just throwing up my art in the wrong places. So he gave me this wall where I can paint in my spare time. I owe him a lot, actually." She paused, with a hum. "Sans was pretty annoyed when he came to pick me up, though."

There was silence for a moment.

***You asked Arial if Sans killed a human before.**

She nearly fell over, the simple question resurfacing far too many bad memories. Glancing back, she narrowed her eyes at the human and hunched her shoulders, absentmindedly fingering her scar. The human suddenly looked uncomfortable and looked down, she suspected that they were a little ashamed about dropping something personal.

"Why ask?" she put across when she managed to recover, but her voice trembled. She cringed a little, trying to get rid of the anxiety that pooled into her SOUL.

***You told Arial about the incident in the hotel.**

"Sans did WHAT?!" she sputtered out and the human shifted in place. To say she was surprised was an understatement. She knew her brother was capable of a lot of things, but threatening kids wasn't one of them. Setting her paint aside, she slid to the floor and looked at them silently, white irises blazing against her dark brown bangs.

"Yeah, he did." She finally replied. "But he had reasons." She added when she saw a terrified expression pass over their face. "The human killed a couple of monsters and he stopped them." The human frowned, obviously expecting more, but Arial made it clear that she didn't want to talk about it. In fact, she wanted to erase that memory from her head, if she had it her way. The human proved to be smarter than she expected though and kneeled in front of her, pointing at her scar.

***You suspect it has something to do with her scar. You ask her if the same human hurt her.**

Arial choked, startled.

"K-kid, that's n-not something I'd l-like to t-talk a-about." She stuttered nervously, hunching her shoulders. The human blinked and nodded silently, opting to smile and lighten the mood instead. She relaxed when she saw their decision to let the topic go and leaned back.

"So, how did the date with my brother go?" she asked. The human grinned.

***You tell her that Papyrus rejected you since he had no romantic feelings whatsoever.**

"Oh, jeez, he actually said that?"

***You also told her that you weren't so upset since you and Papyrus were friends now and that he helped you befriend Undyne too…**

"Hm? That's nice…"

***…and that you tell Arial that you made a bet with them.**

"Oh really?" she was a little amused now. The kid was beginning to grow on her, she dare say she felt a small thread of fondness beginning to form. She was also curious about the bet. "What is it?"

The human grinned flirtatiously and red flags began to pop up in her head when they propped their arm up, resting their elbow against their knee and their head on their palm. Their eyes glinted mischievously. She blinked, managing a nervous smile at the change in their demeanor.

***They bet that you couldn't talk to the prettiest girl you meet. You ask Arial if she wanted to use their money to buy drinks with you.**

Arial blinked, registering their pick up line. Oh god, did they really mean it? How was she supposed to react? She let out a helpless groan and slapped her hand against her cheeks, hiding the blush that was growing on them. She was ridiculously awkward when it came to being flirted with. Even though she had her fair share from Grillby back when they were crazy, younger and invested in a teenage romance (in reality, she was around seventeen and he was nineteen) that ONLY consisted of kisses and cuddles, she was caught off guard by the human's boldness.

"Kid…" she managed out. "I'm too old for you."

They weren't so bad though, now that she thought about it.

* * *

Things were turning weirder and sappier by the minute.

And it didn't help that Asgore was crying dramatically in the corner with Undyne and Alphys patting his back.

"SISTER, HOW MANY TIMES MUST I TELL YOU TO WEAR! YOUR! SHOES!" Papyrus exclaimed, pointing to her feet. Arial wiggled her toes and shrugged; her jacket was still tied around her waist since it wasn't cold before the barrier, faint light rippling through. She chuckled, patting Papyrus' stomach good naturedly. She always treated her lack of footwear as a joke, much to her brother's exasperation.

"I can't, Papy." She giggled, deciding to break the news. "I threw them away."

Papyrus' jaw dropped with shock.

"WHAAAAT?!"

The kid chortled in the background, leaning against Toriel's robes. The goat monster gave their hand a gentle squeeze and the action filled Arial with a fuzzy warmth. She was glad the kid finally had a home even though it was slightly dysfunctional and out of the norm for them.

"Now, now Ari." Sans cut in, grin widening. His baritone had a humorous glint to it. "Don't _trash_ talk us."

"SAAAAAAAANNNNNNNSSSSSS!"

The moment would have been perfect if the flower hadn't shown up.

* * *

From the multicolored haze the human reached out again.

"What's the use?" she asked, her face blurred over.

***You ask Arial if she found the badge inspiring.**

"It's just a mural. A stupid mural."

***You shot her a pick up line.**

***Suddenly, the memories come rushing back!**

"The hell?!" she screeched, blinking as her face cleared to reveal a blush. "Kid, how many times do I have to tell you I'm too old for you?!"

* * *

"I'll have to admit, I'm stumped." She declared. Frisk hid a secret smile, knowing the answers to Undyne's questions on the broken barrier. Whatever happened with Asriel was kept to themselves, even the guilt of them not being able to save him. They glanced to the side and saw the Calx siblings chattering high-spiritedly. Sans caught their stare and shot them a wink, knowing more than what he let on as usual.

The monsters were excited about their freedom. They were too, now that they were a part of their family and their ambassador.

But something else ate at them.

It was what lay outside this mountain.

Their hand reached into the pocket, circling a strip of cloth. They knew it was a white arm band with a blue star sewn across by their mother. They knew she was now on that island a mindless giant, ready to tear them apart if they ever cross paths again. They knew that the humans who waited at the town below would ship them off to their doom.

When the monsters stepped out of Ebott and took in the setting sun with wide, awed eyes, Frisk felt dread fill their SOUL as the arm band was held in their clenched fingers. It fluttered slightly and they shook, knowing something horrible will soon follow.

Marley never accepted Eldia as its ally. Why would the monsters be any different?

There was shout and Frisk's heart dropped when a troupe of men made their way up the mountain.

* * *

***Evil cackling***

**I guess I've ended it there.**

**First things first though, thank you all the readers who have followed, favorite and commented for this work. You have no clue how much I squealed when I saw the notifications. Trust me, even though it wasn't much, it inspired me enough to type out this.**

***ahem*, now for the comments. **

**FanBoy01: First off, thank you for commenting, even if it's mild criticism. Funnily enough, you comment made my day.**

**Ah, yes, I'm aware of the lack of any 'crossover' material or whatever you call it in the first chapter. I'm sorry if that disappointed you a little, but I wanted it to be more of an introductory chapter to lay a base on any events that pass. I didn't want to rush in the AoT elements into the work and I also wanted a clearer image of Arial set for you guys. And while there are a few more elements from the AoT universe in this chapter, the next one, I assure you there will be PLENTY of familiar faces.**

**And another thing, there is a mention of the Wings of Freedom in the previous chapter in the form of the mural Arial was working on. I'll leave you with that °w°.**

**Well, I guess Frisk's an Eldian. Maybe that should explain a few things. That and Arial seemed to have gained possession of Isabel's uniform.**

**The No Regrets OVA will actually follow the gist of the manga, where Levi went badass on a whole group of nudists rather than a single one. This also means he would have witnessed his friends' deaths instead of being greeted by their corpses. It adds a layer of angst to this.**

**The next chapter will be out next month, so don't forget to stay tuned, favorite, follow and comment. They will really make my day!**

**See you in oblivion!**


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